Perseverance opens Pinter's 'Betrayal'

Perseverance Theatre will open their third production of the season, “Betrayal” by Harold Pinter, on Friday, Jan. 11. The play will run through Feb. 3.

Directed by Bostin Christopher, and starring Perseverance’s Shona Strauser as Emma, “Betrayal” will be the first-ever production of Pinter at Perseverance. The cast also features Daniel Billet from Los Angeles as Jerry, Aaron Wiseman from Anchorage as Robert, and Juneau’s James Sullivan as the waiter.

The story centers on a love triangle. Strauser’s Emma is married to Robert, but having an affair with Jerry, Robert’s best friend. Told in a reverse chronology, “Betrayal” opens a few years after their affair has ended, and moves backward year by year.

The artistic team includes Akiko Nishijima Rotch on scene design, Arnulfo Maldonado on costumes, Jim Cucurull on lighting, and Lucy Peckham on sound.

Harold Pinter was a Nobel Prize-winning English playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. His best-known plays include “The Birthday Party” (1957), “The Homecoming” (1964), and “Betrayal” (1978), each of which he adapted to film. His screenplay adaptations of others’ works include “The Servant” (1963), “The Go-Between” (1970), “The French Lieutenant’s Woman” (1981), “The Trial” (1993), and “Sleuth” (2007).

“Betrayal” premiered at The National Theatre in London on Nov. 15, 1978, followed by a Broadway debut in 1980. The original London production was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play. It was also made into a feature film in 1981 starring Patricia Hodge, Jeremy Irons and Ben Kingsley.

Performances of Betrayal are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, with a 2 p.m. matinee on the last Sunday, Feb. 3. Pay-as-you-can performances are scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 13 and Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m.

The production will also play in Anchorage in April 2013.

Tickets are available now through Hearthside Books, at the JACC, online at perseverancetheatre.org or by calling 907-463-TIXS (8497).